Red House | Private Reserve

We've noticed a decreasing rate of new homebrewers, which has unexpectedly allowed me to concentrate on only reviewing the finest of the newcomers. Red House is one of those new labels that are worthy of notice and now with this new Private Reserve, it's gotten my praises. The Private Reserve is supposed to be a firm-hold version of their original water-based pomade -- one that can offer cleanliness, great styling, and strong hold.

Design

The label design is the same as the original, but the additional touch of the metallic gold on the label and lid is a game changer. It really puts the whole package together. And in regard to the entire line, you can see a reference to alcohol bottling design.

Scent

The aroma is officially a barbershop scent with notes of bay rum, sandalwood, and patchouli, but in all honesty, it just smells sweet and clean. Most other companies make a very tacky kind of sweet smell, but Red House typically has a pretty clean and unique sweetness to their scents.

Consistency

This pomade is much thicker than the original Red House Pomade. I would place it between Anchors Teddy Boy Matte and the new Shear Revival Crystal Lake formula. It's definitely noticeably thick for a water-based pomade.

Application

You'll feel the grip of the wax, but do not mistaken it for unmanageable in any way. It doesn't make applying the pomade difficult in any way, and you'll be grateful for it later during styling.

Shine

Neutral.

Slickness

The slickness was dialed down compared to the original. It a slickness that keeps everything together but not at all in an oily way. I don't think a traditional oil-based can imitate a slickness like this.

Strength

The strength is very impressive and as solid as that of Black Ship -- if not even more. Many water-based pomades like Crystal Lake and offer preliminary hold but soften up midday. This is NOT the case for Red House Private Reserve. This is some of the more formidable water-based pomade I've ever used.

Control

One of the best. No doubt about it.

Endurance

Black Ship and Private Reserve are two of the most resilient water-based pomades on the market. It's very impressive. The pomade was able to last the whole day without much sacrifice in hold.

Restyling

What was already a nice and waxy pomade becomes even more dry and waxy. But, at this point, the waxy you experience throughout the day is different than the one you experience initially in the morning. It makes restyling not only easy but also very enjoyable.

Hardness

Not at all.

Rinsing

Washes out completely in one shower.

Conclusion

I am very impressed with this pomade. It definitely sits at the top of my list of water-based pomades with Crystal Lake and Black Ship. The strength provided by this pomade with the light weight that it has is unmatched by almost any other water-based pomade on the market. For those of you looking for a strong water-based formula that is both clean and resilient, then the Red House Private Reserve is a must.

If you're interested, we do offer a promo code THEPOMP to help you save some money if you decide to try it out. All you have to do is make sure you support the homebrewer 100% by shopping directly from their website.